Ukraine war latest: Ukraine 'destroys Russian Black Sea minesweeper' (2024)

The General Staff of Ukraine's armed forces have published their daily operational update...

It says "intense" fighting is ongoing along almost the entire frontline, with 78 "combat clashes" already today, compared to 110 for the entirety of yesterday.

The Russian forces became increasingly active on the Kharkiv front, with seven clashes reported so far today.

The situation in Kharkiv is "dynamic", it says, with Russian troops trying to push back the Ukrainian units near Vovchansk, Starytsia and Lyptsi.

Russia said on Saturday its forces had captured the villageof Starytsia, bringing the total number of villages it has taken in the Kharkiv region to 13.

Russia has been pushing ahead with a ground offensive in recent days that opened a new front in northeastern Ukraine's Kharkiv region and put further pressure on Kyiv's overstretched military.

Russian forces have also increased their activity on theSiverskfront andare attempting to break through Ukrainian defences in Bilohorivka, Verkhnokamianske and Rozdolivka, the update says.

Oleksandr Usyk defeated British boxing star Tyson Fury to become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world on Saturday night.

But Fury says the outcome was down to the Ukraine war.

He disputed his loss after the match, saying: "I believe I won that fight. I think he won a few rounds but I won the majority of them.

"His country is at war, so people are siding with the country at war. Make no mistake, I won that fight in my opinion."

In response, Ukrainian Usyk said he was "ready for rematch," but later added: "I don't think about rematch now, I want to rest."

After today's attacks President Volodymyr Zelenskyy againcalled on Western allies to supply Kyiv with additional airdefence systems to protect Kharkiv and other cities.

He said there were reports "every hour" of fresh attacks.

"Missiles, bombs, artillery are the only things that allow Russia to continue its aggression," he said on Telegram.

"The world can stop Russian terror - and to do so, the lackof political will among leaders must be overcome."

"Two Patriots for Kharkiv will make a fundamentaldifference," he said, referring to Patriot missile defencesystems.

Air defence systems for other cities and sufficientsupport for soldiers on the front line would ensure Russia'sdefeat, the president added.

This morning, Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said the delay in giving aid to Ukraine gave Russia a window of opportunity for its new offensive.

Five people have died in strikes on two villages in the Kupiansk district in Kharkiv, local officials say.

It brings the number of people killed in the Kharkiv region today to 10, after five people died in strikes on a recreation area in a northern suburb of the city of Kharkiv.

Local governor Oleh Syniehubov said Russian forces shelledtwo villages with a self-propelled multiplerocket launcher.

At least nine people were injured in the attacks.

We're getting photos of the aftermath of strikes on arecreation area just outside Kharkiv which killed five people and left at least 16 injured.

The pictures show a lakeside resort, where shortly before the attacks local residents were "resting, enjoying a normal way of life", according to a local police inspector (see our 11.54 post).

Parademics and police tend to the wounded, but were also caught up in the second strike, which came about 20 minutes after the first.

These are known as "double tap" strikes, which kill or injure emergency workers at the scene of strike impacts.

Here are the latest photos from the scene...

As Russian forces push across Ukraine's northern fringes, footage from the frontline tells us how this new offensive is unfolding.

Sky News has geolocated videos provided by Ukrainian sources that shed light on how fighting unfolded in the early stages of Russia's assault from the north.

OSINT producer Sam Doak maps how a new front has been opened in the north of Ukraine...

A seven-month pregnant woman was among five people killed in strikes on aKharkiv recreation area, local police said.

At least 16 people were injured; eight of them are in a serious condition, police said.

An 8-year-old child received minor injuries and a police officer and paramedic were injured in the second strike, they added.

You can see some photos from the scene in this Facebook post from Kharkiv police...

President Salome Zourabichvili has vetoed a controversial bill which sparked weeks of mass protests Georgia - but it is likely her veto will be overturned by the government majority.

The "foreign agents" billpassed by parliamentearlier this week would force media and non-governmental organisations and other non-profit groups to register as "pursuing the interests of a foreign power" if they receive more than 20% of funding from abroad.

The president said the bill, which the US has described as a "Kremlin style law", contradicts Georgia's constitution and "all European standards", adding it "must be abolished".

She is increasingly at odds with the ruling party, Georgian Dream, considered by many as pro-Russian.

Read more about the rule and what the president's veto means below...

The number of people killed in Russian airstrikesin arecreation area just outside Kharkiv has risen to five, and at least 16 are injured.

Kharkiv mayor Ihor Terekhov gave update on Telegram, saying: "The explosions heard in Kharkiv around noon occurred ina nearby suburb.

"Two Russian missiles hit a recreation centrewhere people were relaxing, killing five people and injuringsixteen others."

Yaroslav Trofimko, an inspector with the local police department, said there "never any soldiers here".

"It was a Sunday, peoplewere supposed to be here to rest, children were supposed to hehere, pregnant women, resting, enjoying a normal way of life."

He arrived on the scene after the first blast, and was therewhen the second strike hit the same scene around 20 minuteslater.

Ukraine has frequently accused Russia of using "double tap"strikes to kill or injure emergency workers at the scene ofstrike impacts.

Kharkiv's governor Oleh Syniehubov earlier said a paramedic was among those injured.

Russian air defences downed103 Ukrainian drones and 12 United States-made ATACMS missilesover the past 24 hours, the Russian defence ministry said .

Russian officials earlier said that Ukraine had fired nineATACMS at Crimea and attacked Russian regions with at least 60drones, forcing one oil refinery in southern Russia to haltoperations.